18 March 2015
Biometric Residence Permit – International Rollout Schedule
Following up on our previous updates in 29 January and 3 March 2015, the Home Office has now published guidance together with the dates for the phased roll-out of Biometric Residence Permits (BRPs). BRPs for non-EEA nationals travelling to the UK for more than six months will begin to be issued from the 18th March 2015, starting with applications made in Pakistan. The rollout will continue in three further phases from mid-April (inc. China and India), end of May (inc. Australia, the US and Japan) and end of July (the rest of the world).
10 March 2015
The challenges in obtaining the UK Tier 1 Entrepreneur visa and staying compliant with the rules
“Britain is open for business” – a campaign driven by many successive UK governments attracting talented entrepreneurs worldwide to set up or invest in an existing business in the UK. The Tier 1 (Entrepreneur) visa is the natural visa to obtain for those wishing to start or invest in a business they will actively be involved in running in the UK. To qualify under this route, you must show you have access to at least £50,000 in capital from a registered venture capital firm, seed funding competition or government department or £200,000 of personal wealth, which can include third party backing.
6 March 2015
British Consulate-General in New York lauches Super Priority Visa Service
Following the roll out of the Super Priority Visa Service (“SPVS”) in India and China, the British Consulate-General in New York has announced that it will also adopt the service, effective of today. The service is available for a fee of £600 (roughly equivalent to $936) and can be purchased online from the VFS Global website.
6 March 2015
Closure of Tier 1 (General) extension is imminent
By way of a follow-up note, we wanted to remind you that after 6 April 2015 it will no longer be possible to submit a Tier 1 (General) extension application. All those who are able to do so, should submit their extension application prior to this date in order to ensure they may continue to reside and work in the UK under this category. Applicants will be granted sufficient further leave to bring their total leave up to five years, at which point they will be eligible to apply for settlement, otherwise known as indefinite leave to remain, subject to meeting all the other requirements. Applicants may continue to apply for settlement any time prior to 6 April 2018, after which point it will no longer be possible to obtain settlement in this category.
3 March 2015
Updates released on the roll-out of the Biometric Residence Permits for overseas applicants
As the general election draws closer, immigration advisers all over the country watch closely to see what the current coalition government will do and whether they will try to implement any changes to the current immigration system. Although Kingsley Napley has been informed that there will be no significant changes to the immigration system, we still rush to read every release with anticipation.
